Latimore Fred Oghenesivbe’s report: Senator representing Delta Central at the National Assembly, Barrister Augustine Ovie Omo Agege will never forget his darkest moment in life, Saturday 14th October, 2017.
His political career dropped like a failed aircraft engine from 37,000 feet to ground zero with monumental casualties expected from a fatal political accident.
The devastation caused the Senator by the wild wreckage on his political structures in Delta Central cannot be redeemed in the next three decades. It was ballistic, swift, painful, unbelievable but true.
On that historic day in question, former Chairman of Ughelli North Council, Chief Friday Akpoyibo and other experienced political tacticians took over total political control of the home base of Senator Agege which cut across the entire towns and villages that constitutes OROGUN community near Ughelli in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The enthusiastic men and women, youths and supporters over 5,000 in number stormed Ogono-OROGUN with their weak brooms and A4 size APC membership letter; set the brooms and membership letters ablaze and bade final farewell to the now moribund APC DELTA, the only state chapter of APC with 5 factions and still counting.
As the rally was rocking the foundation of OROGUN communities, jiltry Senator Ovie Omo Agege was seen at his private residence pacing round his compound, making incantations and enchantments to stop the rally but alas the more he invoked the spirit of confusion the more the crowd swelled into the venue until it could no longer contain jubilant PDP faithfuls and the 5,000 returnees.
Arrowhead of the rally and capacity political astronaut, Chief Friday Akpoyibo rightly stated that Senator Agege will never forget Saturday 14th October, 2017 in the history of his political career.
“I was Senator Agege’s political backbone in the entire OROGUN community and by extention Ughelli North LGA. He is now politically empty, dejected and absolutely pale. There is nothing he can do about it because he has to reap what he sowed. He deceived me and others to join the APC to satisfy his selfish and self centered political ambition.
“APC is a ‘kalo-kalo’ political party where crafty, dishonest and liers gang up to unleash havoc on the nation and Nigerians. Our country is in total disarray due largely to the cluelessness and archaic socioeconomic policies, divisive political tactics, tribal and religious bigotry now threatening the unity and peace of Nigeria.
“We decided to come back home to our original party, the PDP where there is no hate, No segregation, No tribal and religious bigotry. We regretted joining APC but I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that our mistakes have been cured as a result of the bold steps we took today to return to the biggest and the largest political party in Africa, the PDP.
“I thank PDP party leaders especially our state party leader, Gov Okowa, for finding time out of his busy schedules to personally receive us today. This is what excellent and responsive leadership is all about.
“2019 shall be a walk over for Gov Okowa and all candidates of PDP in Orogun Communities, Ughelli North LGA and across Delta State,” Akpoyibo added.
The governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa while welcoming and receiving the returnees back to the PDP political family, assured them of greater love and comradeship and that no member of the party including the leaders will discriminate against any returnee now or forever.
“You are stainless. I am extremely glad to welcome all of you back to our great party, the PDP. There is nothing like home. It’s now glaring that the APC is not and can never be a better alternative to PDP. We expect more returnees very soon from across the three Senatorial districts.
“I am aware that talks are going on and very soon more rallies shall be held to welcome new members and returnees across the 25 LGAs.
“We held one mega rally in Sapele and the harvest was bountiful. This is another astonishing, heart warming and very timely rally which raked in these large number of people.
“I want to also use this occasion to assure the good people of Delta State that I will continue to provide proactive leaderdhip anchored on transparency, accountability and openness.
“My administration shall continue to ensure strict adherence to good governance, sound democratic principles in civil goveenment especially prudent and judicious use of available resources for the prosperity of Deltans and overall development of the state.
“I have outlined some key projects in Delta North and Orogun communities in the 2018 Appropriation Bill soon to be sent to the State House of Assembly.
“It includes road projects, renovation and equipping of schools and to also ensure more and more youths and women empowerment in Orogun Communities through skills acquisition and vocational training under YAGEP, STEP and GEEP job and wealth creation programmes.
“This administration has also deliberately focused on human capital development because I strongly believe that our youths are our future hope and greatness as a people and as a state.
“I salute your courage for coming out of darkness into light. I shall be in regular contact with our party leaders in these communities; in and around Orogun to ensure that we expand our prosperity programmes here and across the state. It is indeed a day of joy for all of us,” Gov Okowa said.
Speaking to news men during the rally, Delta Central PDP Leader and 2019 Senatorial hopeful, Chief (Senator) Ighoyota Amori fondly called Odidimadi of the Universe, posited that APC is now a lamedock in Ughelli North LGA including Orogun Communities and across the state.
“APC is finished here in Delta State. Ovie Omo Agege is now a shadow of himself politically from this day forward. See what is happening here. What do you think will happen by the time PDP rolls out her campaign train when campaign begins? It will be explosive and 100 of Omo Agege cannot stop PDP and her candidates from winning elections in landslide victory come 2019.
“GOV Okowa is a charismatic and visionary leader and you can see that his enviable leadership qualities and good governance initiatives is attracting more and more people into our great party. His infrastructure development drive is fantastic which is why PDP is gaining more ground in Delta while APC is fading away per second per second in the state, ” Amori added.
PDP State Party Chairman, Olorogun Kingsley Esiso while speaking at the occasion said APC is now a laughing stock not only in Delta State but across the country, because of lack of visionary leadership and vague socioeconomic policies of the federal government.
The capacity Chairman noted that the returnees are by all standards true ambassadors of PDP for taking bold steps to return from the middle of APC dark political tunnel.
“I appreciate all of you for exhibiting strength of character. It’s better for a Prince to return to his father’s palace than to be a mere errand boy or servant to a slave.
“You took the right decision today. APC is now history and by May 29, 2019 the remains or the carcass of APC in Delta State shall be buried.
“It is the prayer of all Nigerians that APC should whither away so that the nation’s lost glory under the federal government can be restored by PDP, going forward,” Esiso enthused.
It is now clear to Senator Ovie Omo Agege and his moribund APC that come 2019, his party shall be relegated to the dustbin of political history, not only in Delta State but across Nigeria.
Secretary to Delta State Government, Hon Festus Ovie Agas, Delta Central PDP Chairman, Chief Fovie, some other party leaders, chieftains in Delta Central; Delta Finance Commissioner, Olorogun David Edevbie, Hon Oharisi of DTHA, Hon Evance Ivwurie representing Ethiope East Constituency at DTHA, some members of State Exco, Special Adviser to DTHA Speaker, Ebenezer Okorodudu PhD, PDP media team, a cross session of the Press, were among those present at the ecstatic Ogono-Orogun PDP rally which wrecked political havoc on Senator Ovie Omo Agege and his kalo-kalo APC party.
APC STATEMENT:Meanwhile, the leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC Delta State chapter has said the fuss being exhibited by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa about the weekend defection of Chief Friday Akpoyibo, who was Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s key benefactor, shows that both PDP and Okowa have actually lost grip of the political machinery of the state.
Acting Publicity Secretary of the APC, Engr Leonard Obibi in a statement on Sunday made available to BigPen Online, stated the said Akpoyibo whom PDP is celebrating as ‘big win’ was inconsequential to APC as an opposition party in the state.
“As far as our party APC in Delta State is concerned, the recent declaration of Chief Friday Akpoyibo for the PDP is a matter of personal interest to him, and honestly is of little consequence to us”, the party said.
The party said, “Chief Akpoyibo’s absence is our gain. We are very happy that we have fewer “moles”, and as I said, his declaration is inconsequential to our party’s political interests.
“We are very strong and comfortable on all fronts and we will deal a strong upper cut to knock out the PDP when the time comes for that contest.
Obibi said that APC Delta was recording more followers each day, and now prepared to reclaim power from the ruling PDP come 2019, adding that as a party of progressives, “We count our strength on the basis of our principles and our desire to do good to the people of Delta State, and we are not disturbed, or in fact, we are happier when those people who do not share in our vision stand apart from us so as not to distort our political message.
“We also exist on the basis of unity of purpose, and one core objective is to take over the leadership of Delta State, for which we have issued a quit notice to the PDP administration come 2019”.
He said that Akpoyibo’s declaration during the defection ceremony had only demonstrated that APC Senator Ovie Omo-Agege remains a political pillar in Orogun and Delta Central politics, adding that the senator would continues to deliver top quality representation and support services to his senatorial constituency.
“Talking specifically about Ughelli North politics, we are extremely rooted and comfortable with the giant strides that we have made thus far.
“Many former PDP leaders that have seen the light are crossing over in droves; and we welcome them wholeheartedly, not just of who they are, but because they do share in our common vision to give Delta State a new sense of hope and direction.
“You can see that PDP, being now a dying party, had to make every effort to get Governor Okowa and major stalwarts of their party to make so much empty fuss over a matter that we in APC have little or no concern about.
“For us, this is happy sign that PDP is loosing grip daily, and it is now struggling to remain relevant. The soul of PDP in Delta State is dead, and what you have left is just the carcass”, the statement said. .
Continuing, Obibi recalled how APC had an overwhelming win at the very last Councillorship re-run election that took place in the State; stressing,”particularly, we won Orogun and other Wards to the surprise of Gov. Okowa, and that was why he had to craftily manipulate the House of Assembly to take down the DSIEC Board so as to pave way for his cronies to conduct the next LGA election due in January 2018. Many people are not aware of this fact.
“However, no matter the crafty acts of Gov. Okowa, we will meet PDP at the polls and teach them that PDP is now a past tense in Delta State politics, and there is nothing they can do about it.
“We are not unmindful that Okowa may, as usual, arrange to re-write the LGA election results, as is the tradition of PDP, but we are confident that Deltans will want their voices heard, and we also pray that Okowa will let people’s votes count.
“You can’t compare his (Omo-Agege) output so far with the wasteful PDP-led Okowa administration. This is a government that operates a “blank annual budget” as a tradition, and has not had the courage to show its 2017 budget to Deltans.
“Let us ask, who is Gov. Okowa actually accountable to? It is this kind of politics and financial recklessness that APC wants to push out, so that Deltans can begin to benefit from and enjoy their State that is highly blessed and favoured by God Almighty”.
